B.C. Premier Campbell says he’s ready to go

VANCOUVER – A buoyant and relaxed Premier Gordon Campbell made his last official appearance as British Columbia’s leader Monday and even offered his seat in the legislature to his successor.

Just before kissing one reporter’s cheeks and hugging another startled reporter, Campbell said good bye.

“My last comment is I really appreciate the chance to serve the people of British Columbia as I have,” he told a scrum of reporters.

There is no better job, there is no more exciting job, there’s no job that where you can learn more, he said.

“I feel honoured to be able to serve.”

Campbell said he would step aside in his riding to make room for his successor, Christy Clark, if asked.

While he met with her Sunday, one day after Clark was elected by Liberal party delegates, he said he would be meeting with her again to see what her recommendations were.

“I think that if she wants to run in Vancouver-Point Grey I’d be glad to step aside for her to run in Vancouver-Point Grey.”

Campbell said he believed his constituents would welcome her and that she would win the riding.

Clark is the only one of the four Liberal leadership contenders who doesn’t hold a seat in the legislature.

She was elected in 1996 and served as education minister and deputy premier before quitting in 2005.

The departing premier said there’s a lot of work for everyone to do to keep the coalition that makes up the B.C. Liberal Party together.

“I think there are about 162 different secrets,” he laughed when questioned about how Clark will keep her caucus united. “I don’t think there’s any secret. I think you have to treat everybody with respect. I think you have to recognize there can be differences of opinion within a large group and you embrace those.”

In the months leading up to his resignation last November, Campbell lost two members.

Blair Lekstrom, Campbell’s energy minister, left the party to sit as an independent last June over public opposition to the harmonized sales tax.

In November, Bill Bennett was fired from cabinet and thrown out of caucus for questioning Campbell’s leadership.

Shortly afterwards, Campbell announced he was leaving over the public’s anger around how his government implemented the 12 per cent tax.

Clark, a former radio talk-show host, was not part of the government when the decision was made to implement the HST.

During her campaign, she heavily criticized the government for the way it implemented the tax.

Campbell said he takes no offence and said she was repeating what he had already admitted .

“It was done badly. I take full responsibility for that. I think we should have been far more aggressive about pointing out to people how positive the HST was for them and their jobs and their families.”

He said Clark is excited to take up the post and the province should be excited, as well.

“She’s someone who’s passionate about the things she believes in. She’s got an agenda that she wants to pursue with the caucus.”

Campbell’s last appearance was to announce the Vancouver location for the Pacific Autism Family Centre.

The province has pledged $20 million towards capital costs.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson acknowledged the leadership of the premier in pushing the project forward.

“(He) wanted to see this done, before he rides off into the sunset, or paddles off into the sunset,” he said.